Three parting words before leaving, and with a hearty laugh, he strode out the door, gazing up at the sky.

Wang Yu returned to his own room, with Tao Yuan following him all the way. Toward Tao Yuan, Wang Yu felt a deep sense of guilt. He wanted to say something, but Tao Yuan seemed to have read his mind. He waved his hand and said, “Hongjian, I didn’t come here to listen to your apologies. You need not feel guilty. Each person has their own ambitions, each follows their own path—this is perfectly natural. I simply have a few words of advice for you, if you don’t mind an old man being too verbose?”

Wang Yu quickly replied, “Sir, you flatter me. Whatever guidance you have, I will listen with utmost respect.” Tao Yuan nodded, raising his first finger. “Very well, I hope you will remember and heed three things. First, you must have a heart of reverence. Be humble and cautious in all things, never arrogant or presumptuous, lest you invite disaster upon yourself. Do you understand?”

Wang Yu understood immediately. Tao Yuan was telling him to keep a low profile, not to let his brilliance shine too sharply as he had today. Wang Yu nodded, “I will remember your words, Sir.”

Tao Yuan raised his second finger. “Second, you must have confidence. On the path to the Great Way, the only one you can trust and rely on is yourself. All else—people and things—are but borrowed, not dependable. Do you understand?”

Wang Yu pondered this. To follow one’s own path, all else is but illusion. Every person who carves their own way is possessed of extraordinary self-belief; otherwise, they could not leave their mark on the world or contend with others. Wang Yu bowed in gratitude, moved by these heartfelt, piercing words—a mentor’s wisdom passed only to those closest.

Tao Yuan had already come to regard Wang Yu as a true disciple. Wang Yu felt a surge of emotion. If the Confucian school truly suited him, he would have stayed for Tao Yuan alone. Alas, most things in life rarely go as one wishes.

Tao Yuan raised his third finger. “Lastly, if others do not provoke you, do not provoke them; but if they do, eliminate them utterly! Remember this well!”

Wang Yu was taken aback. Sir, what are you saying? Are you sure you’re not an agent of the Militarists or Legalists? How can you speak with such ferocity?

Seeing Wang Yu’s incredulity, Tao Yuan smiled. “Hongjian, you don’t really think the Confucian school is just a group of gentle old men, do you? Have you not heard, ‘Even after nine generations, revenge may still be sought; even after a hundred, it is possible.’ We Confucians are fierce indeed. The benevolent love others, but the benevolent are also invincible. Why invincible? Because the great staff, raised high, renders one invincible!”

Wang Yu was stunned. He had never expected the gentle, kindly old man to speak so fiercely; he almost suspected the old man had crossed over from another world, otherwise how could he utter such bold words?

After finishing his three points, Tao Yuan seemed to remember something else. “Also, you need to be wary of the Zhu family. In recent years, their power has grown rapidly thanks to Zhu Bingli. The family is not lacking in elite warriors, and by now they surely know of today’s events. Trouble is inevitable; be careful. Don’t climb all the way up the ladder only to stumble over a minor Zhu clan. That would be disgraceful. Do you need my help?”

Wang Yu dismissed the concern, curling his lip. “The Zhu family is hardly worth mentioning, Sir. You need not worry. I have my own ways of dealing with them.”

Tao Yuan nodded, not pressing the issue further. In his view, anyone who could ascend the heavenly ladder must possess great wisdom and insight; though Wang Yu had no cultivation at present, handling a minor Zhu clan should be well within his ability. Otherwise, the ladder would be famed in vain.

“So, what are your plans next? Where do you intend to go? Daoist school? Legalist? Famous school? Yin-Yang school? Militarist? Mohist?”

Wang Yu thought for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll visit them all, see which suits me best, and study wherever I find a match.”

Tao Yuan revealed a strange smile. “And if none suit you?”

Wang Yu was taken aback. None of them? He hadn’t considered that possibility. Surely, among all the myriad schools, there must be one that fits him, right? How could there be none?

After some thought, Wang Yu said, “If none are suitable, then I’ll establish my own school. I’ll have a taste of being a founder myself.”

Tao Yuan laughed heartily. “Good, good! That is the spirit, the ambition required to become revered, to forge a path for generations. With such resolve, Hongjian, you already surpass most cultivators. I hope you will prove your heart through action and affirm your own way.”

After a pause, Tao Yuan patted Wang Yu’s shoulder. “Be careful in all things. If you truly reach a dead end, you can always return to the Confucian school. Don’t fear losing face—come back to Mount Tai, do you hear?”

Wang Yu nodded gratefully. “Rest assured, Sir. Unless I die attaining the Way, I will surely return.”

Tao Yuan was startled, then burst out laughing. “Well said, Wang Hongjian! Very well, that’s that. I’ll be on my way. Take care in everything.”

Tao Yuan understood Wang Yu’s meaning. Unless he died, he would not return; in other words, only the day he attained the Way would he come back.

If he died, what meaning would returning have? Wang Yu’s words implied that the day he proved his Dao would be the day he returned.

Tao Yuan departed calmly. Wang Yu stood where he was for a while, savoring the moment. He thought this old master truly had a free spirit and a mind as vast as the sun and moon.

At this moment, Wang Yu couldn’t help but think again: if only this old master were at the helm of the Confucian school, it would surely fare better than under Ziyou’s leadership. But alas, even if he stayed, with his nine-vein institute and his status as a wandering scholar, it would be a fool’s dream to challenge Ziyou’s position as head of the mountain.

There was one point that made Ziyou unbeatable: he was one of the grandmaster’s ten direct disciples. That alone was enough; no one could rival him.

So, Wang Yu would leave.

With a sigh, Wang Yu packed his belongings. There wasn’t much—just some clothes and money, nothing more. When he finished, he slung his small bundle over his shoulder and strode out of his room, heading boldly toward the mountain gate, without a hint of nostalgia.

For Wang Yu, it was obvious that the head, Ziyou, did not favor him; no one came out to see him off.

When Wang Yu reached the gate, he was alone, making the scene rather desolate. Yet he didn’t mind at all. The only person he cared about was Tao Yuan, the old master; all others were mere passersby in his eyes.

What did it matter if strangers saw him off or not?

Standing before the towering marble gate, Wang Yu looked back at the vast Mount Tai, green and majestic, soaring straight into the sky, grand and magnificent, worthy indeed as the foremost of all mountains.

Wang Yu laughed loudly, singing as he departed, “With my head held high, I stride out the door—how could I be just a weed among men!”